This beautifully conceived and executed chess set was made using vintage Russian Nixie tubes. The tubes are illuminated without visible wires; they glow when at rest on the gameboard surface. Some detail shots showing the internal PCBs are available here, and announcement of plans for a kit version here. Kudos to Tony of Lasermad for producing what, IMHO, is quite clearly a masterpiece. [via Hack a Day]

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c’t – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.